Electrical registering-instrument



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON ELECTRIC IVELDING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRICAL REGISTERING-INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,425, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed March 12, 1891. Serial No. 384,756. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEBMANN LEMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Electrical Registering-Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric counters or registers wherein the actuating or impelling mechanism is oscillated by means of an electromagnet for the purpose of counting or registering the number of times that the electric circuit is opened or closed.

The invention is especially applicable to circuits in which the current is apt to be large at one time and small at another, and is designed more particularly for application to those circuits in which an alternating electric current flows. The counter or register is hence especially useful for registering the number of times that an electric weldin g apparatus or similar device is employed.

The object of my invention is to obtain accuracy or uniformity of action for currents of all strengths, and to also obtain the desired registry for all variations of the alternating current without great variations of resistance from the presence of the magnet of the register.

A further object of the invention is to produce a register that shall be simple, effective, and cheap to construct.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the electromagnet and supporting devices of the armature.

A indicates generally any mechanical counting or registering mechanism in which a wheel or train of wheels is employed and is rotated one step at a time by an actuating mechanism of any suitable construction that is oscillated by means of the electromagnet and a suitable retractor. In the present instance I have shown a train of wheels somewhat similar to the train of a gas-meter, several wheels of ZsuchZ train being indicated by the lettersa c c e.

L indicates any oscillating structure-such, for instance, as a lever-which may be hung on pivots, (indicated at P,) and whose oscillations impart movement to the actuating device that operates upon the primary wheel of the train. In the present instance I have shown as the actuating mechanism a pawl m, of any suitable construction, carried by an arm lWI, which extends from the lever L and engages with the ratchet-wheel a in obvious manner. 4

At m is indicated the usual retaining-pawl.

S indicates a retracting-spring applied to the lever L, and operating on the same, as shown, so as to move the pawl m in a direction to turn the wheel a. The lever L is moved in the opposite direction by the action of the electromagnet employed. A suitable stop for limiting the movements of the lever L may be provided by a yoke H fastened in position on the register-case and embracing the arm M. The lever L carries an iron frame F, perfectly rectangular in shape and arranged, as shown, to embrace the electromagnet of the structure, the core of which magnet is indicated at I. The conductor which magnetizes said iron core consists of a thin copper 8o ribbon G, insulated in any way and Wound around the core I in obvious fashion.

The core I is preferably a laminated or subdivided structure and may be made of iron wire. The frame F is also laminated and may be composed of thin sheets of iron fastened together. The part of the frame F which is in proximity to the poles of the core I is reinforced or thickened by a number of attached plates, as indicated. The frame is suitablymounted with relation to the core of the magnet so as to oscillate in a plane transverse to the core of such magnet and in suitable proximity to the poles of the core, as indicated.

In the construction of the electromagnet when the instrument is to be employed on an alternating-current circuit I use a very small amount of iron in the core and frame and a comparatively large number of turns in the ribbon or conductor forming the magnetizingcoil. The relation of coils and iron I make such that the core may saturate with a very small fraction of the maximum current which is to flow through the coils-say ten per cent. The object of this is to cause the instrument to register accurately for currents of very different strengths and at the same time to cause the magnet to interpose a resistance to the flow of currents which shall not vary greatly.

It is well known that electromagnets upon alternating-current circuits oppose a resistance to the flow of currents in two ways: first, through the so-called ohmic resistance of the coils of the electromagnet, and, secondly, through the self-induction of the coils, which increases very greatly with the amount of iron employed. The ohmic resistance of the electromagnet in my register will obviously be practically the same for currents of various strengths, excepting in so far as it may vary from heating, and the self -inductive resistance will be practically constant, because when the core is saturated no increase of selfinductive resistance will follow from an increase of the alternating currents. Hence the action of the instrument and its eifect upon the circuits will be practically the same whether the current used in the welding operation to be counted or noted is small or great, and by making the core sufficiently small with relation to the magnetizing effect the reactive eifect of the instrument on the circuit maybe practically negligible. At the same time the maximum range of the instrument or its adaptability to circuits carrying large currents is only limited by the carrying capacity of the copper ribbon. The instrument is also made capable of registering simply and accurately with very small currents, inasmuch as the iron may quickly saturate.

The retractor S or other suitable retractor, when the magnet is not excited, holds the armature F in the position shown in Fig. 1. To prevent movement of the iron frame F in a direction parallel with the axis of the core I under the attractive influence of the magnet, while at the same time leaving the frame free to oscillate in a plane transverse to the axis of such core, suitable lateral guide-rolls r r are employed and are mounted in a suitable fixed support. Between these rolls moves a pin or arm 0, connected to the frame F, as clearly shown in the drawings. By this means the attract-ion of the magnet for the frame is prevented from drawing the frame sidewise against the core.

\Vhen no current is passing the mechanism occupies the position shown in Fig. 1; but on excitation of the magnet by a current the frame will be drawn to one side, causing the pawl to engage with a fresh tooth of the ratchet-wheel. Then the magnet loses its power the spring S or other rertactor draws the frame back and the wheel a is moved forward one step. By operating the register in this way uniformity and accuracy of movement is secured, since the forward movement of the wheel is d ue solely to the action of the retractor and not to the magnetic pull upon the frame, which, being sudden and of variable force, according to the strength of the cur rent used on the circuit, would be apt to give the wheel a momentum which might carry it more than one tooth.

That I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electric counter or register for alternating-current circuits, an actuating-electromagnet having an iron core and coil related as described so that the iron of the core will saturate with a very small fraction of the maximum current employed in operating the register.

2. In an electric counter or register, the combination with the actuating mechanism therefor, of an electromagnet having its coils and core related in the manner described so that the core will saturate with the minimum of the alternating currents employed in the operations to be counted, as and for the purpose described.

3. In an electric counter or register, the combination with the actuating mechanism therefor, of an electromagnet, and an arn1a ture for such magnet composed of a frame surrounding the magnet and oscillating in a plane transverse to the magnets core, said frame having a pivotal support whose axis is parallel to the axis of the core.

l. The combination with the actuating lever L, and the pawl carried thereby and adapted to turn the impelling-wheel when the lever is moved by its retractor, of an electromagnet, and an armature therefor composed of a frame surrounding the magnet and having its sides arranged to oscillate in proximity to the poles of the magnet in a plane trans verse to the axis of the magnets core.

5. In an electric counter or register, the combination with the register mechanism, of an electromagnet having a subdivided iron core and a rectangular laminated iron frame surrounding the magnet and constituting the armature thereof and connected to the actuating mechanism of the register.

6. The combination with the magnet, of the iron frame having its sides arranged to oscillate in proximity to the poles of the magnet and in a plane transverse to the axis thereof, and guide-rolls for holding the frame against oscillation in the direction of the magnetic axis.

7. A laminated iron frame surrounding the electromagnet and having its parts opposite the pole ends of such magnet built up or thickened with iron pieces.

Signed at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this 6th day of March,

I'IERMANN LEMI. lVitncsses:

J OHN W. GIBBONEY, BENJAMIN 13. IIULL. 

